PM to now appear in NA on Monday

| Speaker says Shah’s sickness deferred today’s appearance

ISLAMABAD - Since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is set to give policy statement on Panama leaks on Monday (16 May), united opposition has submitted a questionnaire in National Assembly for him with the demand of proper response of their queries on the ‘floor of the house’.

The government side had earlier announced that prime minister would appear in National Assembly today (Friday), but it has now changed its plans saying that PM would give ‘policy statement’ on the issue on Monday.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq told the media that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would give policy statement about Panama leaks in the National Assembly on Monday.

“Prime Minister would give policy statement on Monday as the Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah is ill and he would also attend the Monday session,” he added.

The government lawmakers, outside the parliament, had already responded to seven ‘innocent’ questions put forth to PM by the opposition.

Sources in ruling party PML-N shared that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would only readout policy statement and avoid giving answers to specific questions. Opposition members, on the other hand, would try to force him to respond to even their supplementary questions.

With the onset of proceedings in yesterday’s sitting, PPP’s senior MNA Naveed Qamar presented the seven point questionnaire prepared by the joint opposition in connection with Panama leaks to the National Assembly speaker.

“We (Opposition) would continue boycott of National Assembly until prime minister appears in house to answer the questions,” said Qamar. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, receiving the questionnaire, said he would pass on it to the government.

Opposition in its questionnaire has demanded the PM disclose details of the offshore companies that his family owns. It has also asked him to give out net value of his assets and details of bank accounts, properties and companies.

The government, which enjoys 2/3 majority, once again faced embarrassment for not securing required quorum in the house for the third consecutive day. Consequently, the house remained suspended for one hour due to lack of required strength in the house.

The house, at the fag end of proceedings, also remembered the carnage of 12 May, 2007. The lawmakers expressed deep concerns for not probing the sad incident even after passing nine years.

“It is very sad that neither judiciary nor any government in nine year has investigated the horrible sad incident,” said PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai.

He said that a peaceful rally for restoration of judges was attacked in Karachi killing dozens of innocent people. He also demanded the government compensate the loss of human lives and properties.

Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique warned political forces against crossing the red line as it could cause another May 12 like episode.

“PPP and PML-N has learnt a lesson and now the third party should also stop crossing red lines, which could be harmful for democratic set up,” he said, without naming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).

“Some political actors are making efforts for early elections and derailing incumbent government. After the solution of Panama leaks problem they would try to engage government in another controversy,” he claimed.

Other lawmakers called for severe punishments to all responsible for May 12, 2007 massacre in Karachi and demanded making public the inquiry report. They termed it a black day in Pakistan's history and a national tragedy. They also demanded a judicial commission to take culprits to the task.

The government side also passed two bills including ‘the Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill, 2015’ in absence of opposition parties.

Through this bill new section, 3A delimitation of constituencies for local government elections, has been inserted in the relevant Act. It says, The commission shall delimit territorial constituencies for elections to the local governments in accordance with the provisions of the local government Act and the rules made there under of each province.

In section 8 of the Act, after sub-section (5) new sub-section 6 is added which says for the purpose of election to the local government, the Commission shall divide each local government into as many as separate territorial constituencies and the number of councils/seats for direct election as provided in the respective Federal or Provincial local government laws.